Power Plant Engineering

19-205-0505
Dr. James Varghese

Cochin University of Science and Technology.

 Course Outcomes
On completion of this course the student will be able to:
1. Get a general understanding of the scale and scope of
hydroelectric power stations and also grasp the basics of diesel
engine and gas turbine power plants.
2. Comprehend the complexity of the steam power plant after
getting to know about the working of its different components and
elements.
3. Understand the basic principle of the working of nuclear power
plant and the various types of nuclear reactors with its safety
aspects, especially with respect to the current scenario of national
and international debates on the same.
4. Equip with the knowledge of the basics of various non-
conventional energy producing methods .
 Syllabus
Module I
Power plant economics – base load and peak load power plants -estimation of load
– load curve – load factor – diversity factor – capacity factor – use factor – selection
of units – number and size –scheduling operation – cost of energy – depreciation and
replacement – economics of plant selection. Hydroelectric power plants – general
Layout – types of dams penstock, draft tubes, surge tanks - power house equipments
– site selection

Module II
Diesel engine power plant – Layout – Components of a diesel power plant – starting
methods – Gas turbine – open and closed cycles – thermodynamics cycles–
regeneration – reheating – intercooling – efficiency and performance of gas turbines.
combustion chambers of gas turbines – cylindrical – annular and industrial type
combustion chamber design– combustion efficiency – advantages and disadvantages
Gas Turbine power plants – classification – elements of a GasTurbine power plant
 Syllabus
Module Module III
Steam power plants General layout fuel handling systems types of furnaces stokers
burning systems types of firing : stokers, pulverized coal burners and fluidized bed combustion
power plant boilers, mountings and accessories dust and ash handling systems – draft and
chimney calculations – condensers cooling systems - Environmental aspects of thermal power
systems Nuclear power plants - Fundamentals of nuclear fission nuclear power plants reactors
classification – components layout of simple plant – nuclear power safety and waste disposal.
Module IV
Non conventional energy sources solar radiation and its measurement Solar energy collectors
Applications of solar energy Wind energy conversion – site selectio wind energy collectors –
Energy from biomass - ocean energy possibilities and future scope – Ocean Thermal electric
conversion (OTEC) – Tidal energy - geothermal energy- Magneto Hydro Dynamic (MHD)
power– Fuel cells - thermo electric power - thermionic generation.
References:
1. Wakil, E. I., Power Plant Technology, McGraw Hill, (1985).
2. Nag, P. K., Power Plant Engineering, 3rd Edition, Tata McGraw Hill, (2007).
3. Morse, Power Plant Engineering, Van Nostrand Co., (1953).
4. Lee J. F., Power Station Engineering and Economy, Tata McGraw Hill, (1960).
5. Robert L. Loftness, Nuclear Power Plants, Van Nostrand, (1964).
6. Verma Mahesh, Power Plant Engineering, Metropolitan Book Co., (1976).
7. Rai G. D., Non Conventional Energy Sources, Khanna Publishers, (2004).
8. Cohen & Rogers, Gas Turbine Theory, 6th Edition, Prentice Hall, (2008).
 Units
Temperature – K (Kelvin)
Pressure – Pa (N/m2 or kg/ms2) (Gauge or Absolute)
Flow rate - kg/s
Power - W (1000 W=1kW, 1000kW=1MW, 1000MW=1GW)
Unit of electric power- kWhr
Lower heating value (LHV) - kJ/kg
Higher heating value (HHV) – kJ/kg
Standard cubic feet (scf, commonly pronounced as “scuff”)
A standard cubic foot corresponds to 1 cubic foot of gas at 60 F (15.6 C) and 14.73
psia,
Normal cubic meters (Nm 3 ).
A normal cubic meter of gas corresponds to 1 cubic meter at 15 C at 101.325
kPa.
 Basics
Electrics supply - 50 or 60 Hertz?
– 60 Hertz (Hz; e.g., in the USA)
– 50 Hz (e.g., in India Europe).
– In some countries (e.g., Saudi Arabia and Japan), both are present

Generator Frequency (f) = PN/120

Number of revolutions per minute of the engine (N)
Number of magnetic poles (P)
 Diesel Power Plants
●
Diesel power plants are – Diesel Engines Coupled to a Generator (2-50 MW)
●
Diesel or Heavy Fuel Oil is usually used
●
Applications
●
Peak Load plants
●
Mobile Plants
●
Standby Units
●
Emergency plants
●
Starting stations
●
Central Stations
Diesel Power Plants Advantages and Disadvantages
●
Advantages
●
Easy design of plant and installation
●
Available in different capacities
●
Response to load changes fast
●
Starting and stopping quick
●
Less capital required
●
High efficiency
●
Installation near load center
●
Disadvantages
●
Operating cost high
●
Pollution and noise
●
High capacity limited
Diesel Power plant layout
Diesel Power plant layout
Diesel Power plant layout
 Diesel Power plant manufacturers

Top Diesel power plant manufacturers

1. Atlas Copco

2. MAN Energy Solutions

3. Caterpillar Inc.

4. Cummins Inc.

5. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engine & Turbocharger, Ltd.

6. Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited

7. Mahindra Powerol
 Diesel Power plant systems
1.Diesel Engine

2. Air intake system

3. Exhaust system

4. Fuel System

5. Cooling system

6. Lubrication system

7. Starting system
 Gas Turbine Power Plants
1.Gas Turbine cycle (Open)

Heat Exchanger

Turbine
Compressor

Air Inlet
 Gas Turbine Power Plants
1.Brayton cycle (Open)

Heat Exchanger

P2
Q

Turbine
P
Compressor

P1
Q2
Air Inlet

V
 Gas Turbine Power Plants
1.Gas Turbine cycle (Closed)

Heat Exchanger
3
2 Q1

Compressor

Turbine

Heat Exchanger
1 4

Q2
Air Inlet
 Gas Turbine Power Plants
Brayton cycle (Closed)

Heat Exchanger

P2
Q1 W2

W1 Turbine
Compressor

P1
Q2
Air Inlet
 Gas Turbine Power Plants
1.Ideal Brayton cycle
 Gas Turbine Power plant systems

1. GE Gas turbine animation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1aiMVFT8Bw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVPOdj9iZ5s&t=10s
Gas turbine
 Gas Turbine Manufacturers
1. ABB
2. Alstom/Ansaldo
3. General Electric
4. Mitsubishi
5. Siemens
6. Bharat Heavy Electricals
6. Westinghouse
 Brayton Cycle analysis
Qin = cp(T3-T2) and Qout= cp(T4-T1)

Efficiency

We have, ,
Also P1V1k =P2V2k , k =cp/cv , V2/V1=(P1/P2)1/k

Thus T2/T1=(P2/P1)(k-1)/k ,
Similarly
T4/T3= (P4/P3)(k-1)/k = (P1/P2)(k-1)/k
 Brayton Cycle analysis
We have

Efficiency = 1- T1/T2

Efficiency = 1- 1/(P2/P1)(k-1)/k
Compressor Pressure Ratio for Maximum Net Work
Net work = Turbine work – Compressor work
Wnet/m = (h3-h4) -(h2-h1)

= cp[ ( T3 -T4 ) - ( T2 -T1 ) ]

We have > T2/T1 = (P2/P1)(k-1)/k and T4/T3 = (P1/P2)(k-1)/k

Wnet/m =

For specified values of T1 , T3 and cp differentiating w.r.t

(P2/P1)
Compressor Pressure Ratio for Maximum Net Work

=
Equating to zero

=
Compressor Pressure Ratio for Maximum Net Work
We have
Wnet/m =

Substituting

Simplifying
Gas Turbine irreversibilities

=
 Regenerative Gas Turbines

Net work per unit mass increases

Thermal efficiency increases
 Gas Turbines with reheat

Net work per unit mass increases

Thermal efficiency may not increase
 Compressor with intercooling

Net work per unit mass decreases

Intercooler pressure for minimum Compressor Work
Compressor work -minimum at constant temperature

Assuming temperature T1= Td after inter-cooling

Intercooler pressure for minimum Compressor Work

We have and

Substituting

Optimum Pi

Equating to Zero
Regenerative Gas Turbines with reheat and intercooling

Net work per unit mass increases

Overall Thermal efficiency increase
 Combustion Process

Combustion Steps
• Mixing of a fine spray of droplets with air
• Vaporization of the droplets
• Breaking down of heavy hydrocarbons into
lighter fractions
• Intimate mixing with oxygen molecules
• Finally the chemical reactions - combustion
• Uses 100:1 Air Fuel ratio
 Combustion chamber performance

Factors affecting the performance

●
Pressure loss
• Friction and turbulence
• Rise in temperature due to combustion.
• Combustion efficiency
• Outlet temperature distribution
• Stability limits
• Combustion intensity.
• CI (kW/m3atm) = Heat release rate
Comb. Vol x Pressure

Lower the value of the combustion intensity the easier it is

to design a combustion system which will meet all the
desired requirements.
Combustion efficiency

Fuel air ratio = f

Combustion efficiency = Theoretical f for given ΔT

Actual f for given ΔT
Specific fuel consumption = f/Wnet
 Combustion stability loop

Combustion stability loop

 Combustion

Can type combustor

 Combustion

Annular type combustor

 Combustion

Cannular type combustor

 Gas Turbine Power plant
Advantages Disadvantages

It is simple to design & construct compared Problem of starting. Compressor needs to

to a Steam Power station, since no boilers be operating thus external source of power
are required. is necessary.

Much smaller compared to Steam Power Net output is low since greater power is
station of same capacity used to drive compressor.

Lower operating costs Overall efficiency of plant is low ≈ 20%

because of exhaust gases still containing
heat. only efficient in a Combined cycle
configuration

Less water used since there is no need for a Temperature of combustion chamber is too
condenser high thus resulting in a lower life.

Maintenance charges are low

Can be started quickly
No stand-by losses
 Schematic of Combined GT plant

Cannular type combustor